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THE TRUTH ABOUT PRIVATIZATION #9

We can’t ever really recover what we lose

Privatization is a “Humpty Dumpty” experience. We can never really put all the pieces back together again—no matter how much we want to.

Let’s say you work all your life to pay off your home. You make a rash decision to sell it. Then you realize it was a dumb idea. You try and get your house back. But you can't.

First, you have to pay double the money to get it back; and, even if you have the money, your old house is gone. It’s not like it was. It's been all changed around. It’s not your happy home any more.

That’s the way it is with privatization. You can’t ever really go home again.

Worse still: Going public again is never that easy

Part of the privatization project is to give private companies contracts to provide the services that public employees once provided. The problem is, these are often very long-term contracts that would cost us way too much to terminate.

Obviously, it’s better not to privatize to begin with. At least, it should be obvious—to those who end up paying the cost. And in case there is any doubt—that’s us.

OUR GOAL at the CLI is to strengthen Canadian society and contribute to positive social change by providing progressive research, analysis and insights into the lives of everyday working Canadians, policy development based on what we find, and by initiating and planning campaigns in support of efforts to achieve social and economic fairness for all.

The CLI and its partner organizations greatly acknowledge the support of NUPGE Canada.